Exhibition Details

Location:

Art of Asia & Graphic Galleries

Dates:

September 23, 2006 to December 17, 2006

Overview

Central to Himalayan religious beliefs is human transformation from negativity -
nourished by ignorance, egotism and other personal demons - to spiritual
liberation. Demonic Divine explores the ferocious deities believed to aid us in
that journey, with over 50 works of art that span 600 years in one of Asia's
most remote cultural enclaves. Tibetan-style hanging scrolls, an illuminated
manuscript, ritual bronze sculptures and carved masks represent beings that have
a protective and beneficent role in Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the region's
native religion called Bon. Their dramatic color and writhing forms distinguish
this region's religious art from the quiet elegance of Chinese and Japanese art.

Although Buddhism originated in northeast India, it incorporated local beliefs
and customs as it spread across Asia. The "Diamond Path," or Vajrayana form of
Buddhism, flourished in the forbidding highlands of Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal
and Tibet. Whereas other schools of Buddhism teach that many lifetimes are
required to achieve spiritual enlightenment, the Diamond Path promises
exceptional means to achieve the goal within a single lifetime. These
exceptional means include "wrathful" deities who, despite their fearsome
appearance, have the power to bestow not only wealth and health, but also
spiritual and emotional liberation.

In a culture accustomed to animated heroes with fantastic or grotesque
appearances, visitors will immediately recognize the superhuman potential of
these wide-eyed and muscular monsters. Many painted images appear on a black
background with pulsating reds, whites and yellows underscoring the tremendous
energy required to wage a holy war on all obstacles to enlightenment. The
sculpted objects are armed with weapons and other powerful emblems that assist
them in their conquest of spiritual ignorance, physical illness, misfortune, and
even death.

While demonic in appearance, these deities aid the heart and mind in the
transformation of the dark aspects of human nature. As such, they become
metaphors for compassion - compassion that is neither passive nor gentle, but
rather an affirmative, active and courageous force of change. This exhibition
provides an opportunity to experience the rich and sophisticated concepts that
form the foundation of Himalayan art.

This exhibition is organized by the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, and sponsored
by Phoenix Art Museum's Asian Arts Council.